Gioia Advocates Against Fast Food Near Schools

Councilman and Public Advocate candidate Eric Gioia is looking to make news besides from the weekly Public Advocate forums between him and his three competitors. Going off a recent study examining the distance of fast food restaurants and public schools, Gioia wants to do something about the increased obesity rates that are being found.

From The NY Times:

“With the proliferation of fast-food restaurants directly around schools, it’s a clear and present danger to our children’s health,” said Mr. Gioia, who proposed the ban at a news conference at a school opposite a McDonald’s in TriBeCa on Sunday.

“A fast-food restaurant on the corner can have a terrible impact on a child’s life,” he said. “Obesity, diabetes, hypertension — it’s a step toward a less healthy life.”

Under Mr. Gioia’s proposal, new fast-food restaurants would be prohibited within a tenth of a mile of schools; existing locations would be exempt.

While the fast food industry is quick to whine about this or any information that puts them in a negative light, the actual proposal is rather weak. Creating a two-block (Manhattan street-sized that is) sounds more like a ploy to grab a headline than anything else. With the amount of advertising, child-friendly gimmicks and permits allowed for fast food establishments in the city, kids won't mind walking an extra three to five hundred feet to get that extra thousands calories clogged inside those young arteries.

Gioia is going to have to do better than a 1/10th of a mile ban on fast food restaurants if he plans on convincing us of his advocation for children's health.

Gioia And Felder Go After City's Use Of Bottled Water

Yes, the City Council is a mess but at least two members of the corrupted institution have enough sense to help save NYC some money and help the environment in the process. Councilmen Felder and Gioia are sponsoring legislation to eliminate more bottled water use than before. The Council is already bottle-free, but city agencies still have some work to do.

From The NY Daily News:

City Councilmen Eric Gioia (D-Queens) and Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) will introduce a bill next week that would stop city agencies from buying bottled water and water coolers for workers at city agencies.

The city spends $2.1 million annually on bottled water, according to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

"New York City has some of the cleanest water in the country, and we should use it," said Gioia.

He noted that the move would also save on storage and disposal costs and help the environment by reducing waste and truck traffic for water-delivery services.

At least something good is going on at City Hall. With all of their problems, hopefully the rest of the Council can get together and pass this bill. Unless you work for Aquafina or Fiji, this is a no-brainer and completely not controversial, so it should get to the Mayor's desk quickly.

Eric Gioia Goes Carbon Neutral

Many political junkies are aware that national candidates running this year (Democratic ones at least) have pledged to be carbon-neutral in their campaigns. However, not much has happened in local races around the country. Maybe because global warming is seen as a macro problem and not something local. Well it is time to dispel that myth. And Councilman/candidate for Public Advocate Eric Gioia is stepping up to the plate.

From The NY Sun:

City Council member Eric Gioia of Queens is challenging New York's political candidates to put their money where their mouths are on environmental issues and run "carbon-neutral" campaigns. Mr. Gioia, a likely candidate for public advocate, said yesterday that his campaign would purchase carbon offsets, use hybrid vehicles, send fewer mailers and more e-mail, and take other steps to make up for the greenhouse emissions produced by his run for office.

"You have to be the change you want to see," Mr. Gioia said yesterday. "I certainly hope others will follow my example."

The more candidates and citizens at large begin to demand and institute change through their lifestyles, the quicker technology will advance from funding and ultimately the prices for clean energy will drop. Kudos to Councilman Gioia for doing this, and for any candidate that joins him here in New York City and in any locality across the country.

ConEd Pays A Small Price For Huge Mistakes

The New York State Public Service Commission ordered Con Edison to pay customers $18 million dollars for their shoddy service and for not complying with requirements. Con Ed failed to meet conditions that would ensure good service to its rate payers, but does $18 million even begin to cover their actions? Many people think not, especially if they live in Westchester, Queens and the Upper East Side.

From The New York Times:

Councilman Eric N. Gioia, who represents much of the area affected by the blackout, said:

I am disappointed that Con Ed was not fined more. This money is nothing in relation to what the people of Queens endured. When a devastating power outage like the one in Queens threatens lives, hurts businesses, and affects hundreds of thousands of people, Con Edison needs to be held to the highest levels of accountability. They are still getting away with poor service at high prices.

Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, a Westchester Democrat who oversees commissions and authorities, and who had urged the Public Service Commission to scrutinize Con Edison, said in a statement:

Today’s fine is a pittance compared to the damage Con Ed has caused by its unreliable service. At a time when the company is reporting record profits, we are not satisfied with receiving only a small fraction of the scrutiny that we have requested. We will continue to investigate Con Edison’s service reliability and quality, and we will continue to work to reverse the harms that electric deregulation has caused to New Yorkers. The P.S.C. had walked away from its legal duty to ensure adequate, safe and reliable electric service at affordable prices in this state, and the committee will bring transparency and accountability into the manner in which the electric industry was deregulated.

The Commission that slapped Con Ed on the wrist is also initially backing the utility's request for a large rate hike next year. $18 million is a lot of money to ordinary folks, but Con Ed takes in billions of dollars every year. Even though the P.S.C. only granted half of what they wanted, $618 million in increases is still a hefty sum. Before they even think of getting that formally approved, Con Ed needs to do more than talk, they need to physically fix the problems they create, whether it involves storms or man-made explosions.

Councilman Gioia Endorse The Real Rudy's Efforts

He may only be a Councilman from Queens, but this elected official of food stamp fame is engaging himself in an important effort to expose the real Rudy Giuliani. Kudos to you Eric!

Eric Gioia Gets Hungry For Reform

Queens Councilman Eric Gioia was in Congress yesterday meeting with N.Y. and Massachusetts representatives about changing food stamp allowances. Eric can speak from experience now that he has completed one week of living on the $28 stipend. The money did not even cover the week, despite buying inexpensive (and unhealthy) food. Gioia ended up at the food pantry at the end of his week to pick up additional items. Once the week was up however, he was off to Congress to chow down.

From The New York Daily News:

WASHINGTON - A comfort-food splurge ended Eric Gioia's poverty diet yesterday - and the City Council member who spent a week eating on less than $28 let somebody else worry about the check.

The Queens Democrat wolfed down turkey, mashed potatoes and broccoli between meetings with Capitol Hill lawmakers as he pressed for change in food stamp allowances.

He let Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) pick up the tab, and even sent out for the Diet Coke he'd fantasized about while spending seven days drinking nothing but tap water.

If it is that bad for a week, imagine doing that day in and day out while suffering the toll of poverty. Eric understands that now to some degree and spent the day lobbying for reform of the food stamp bill. The program should allow for healthy and nutritious food instead of parched wheat products and chemically ladened processed foods. Gioia realized that "It's not a Democratic issue, and it's not a Republican issue. It's a moral issue. There are hungry kids in New York City." And there are millions of those kids across the country. It is time for Congress to act.

Food Stamp Awareness Hits Queens

The Governor of Oregon made the news recently when he pledged to live on $20 dollars a week for food last month. Now to continue the awareness campaign, local Queens Councilman Eric Gioia has sought to live on the New York state allotment of $28 dollars a week. Doing that in New York City where blueberries can be over $5 for a small package, makes it a rough go around.

From The New York Daily News:

Budgeting $1.30 a meal, Gioia plans to load up his cart with peanut butter, beans and "the cheapest bread I can find" at the local supermarket, Food Dynasty, he said.

"Often the cheapest food isn't the healthiest," he warned.

A Daily News intern who purchased $28.73 worth of groceries for a week at Food Dynasty yesterday bought a lot of canned goods, pasta and breakfast bars on sale. More than a million New Yorkers currently collect food stamps, which average $113 a month for an individual and $200 for a family.

In the nation's first "food stamp challenge," anti-poverty advocates, politicians and clergy feed themselves for a week on the federal amount given to needy people for food. They are calling on Congress to pump about $20 billion more into the federal food stamp program over five years.

It would be nice to see members of Congress take the challenge as well. The Capitol Grille for lunch can be over $100 with the blink of an eye, a far cry from the reality that impoverished Americans know. Not only does Congress need to add $20 billion to the program to keep up with rising food costs, there should be incentives as well for organic products to be made easily affordable. The facts are that in the United States, saving money at the grocery store translates into lower quality and heavily processed foods.

So why not let Congress know. Call up your local Representative and let them know this problem needs to be addressed. The return of the Democratic majority does not only mean fighting the President on the war (although it is extremely important). It is time for government to heed it's true calling, to serve the people that elect them.